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Against the background of serious allegations, the review of the United Nations Palestinian Relief Agency (UNRWA) by an independent group of experts begins this Wednesday. Under the leadership of former French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna, the aim is to assess the extent to which UNRWA has complied with or violated measures to maintain neutrality. The group can also make suggestions for improved safeguards and organizational changes. An interim report is planned for the end of March.

UNRWA has been in the headlines for several weeks because Israel accuses a dozen employees of being involved in the terrorist attacks carried out by the Islamist Hamas on October 7th. Israel also claims that the aid organization has been completely infiltrated by Hamas. Several Western countries have frozen payments to UNRWA because of the allegations, including the two largest donors, the USA and Germany. UN Secretary General António Guterres promised comprehensive information. Collaboration with several employees was immediately terminated.

When asked, the committee initially did not provide any details about how and where its work begins. Colonna, 67, will work with experts from the Raoul Wallenberg Institute in Sweden, the Michelsen Institute in Norway and the Danish Institute for Human Rights. UNRWA has been specifically looking after the needs of Palestinian refugees for decades and operates, among other things, educational and health facilities. In total, more than 30,000 people work for the organization, around 13,000 in the Gaza Strip alone. There, UNRWA is currently seen as having no alternative to providing humanitarian care to more than two million civilians who are suffering from the consequences of the Gaza war.